Treats for Voting and Pearl Fest Announcements

Exercise civic duties for a sane government and a biscuit

Good citizens get tasty treats: Bird Bird Biscuit is offering freebies to early voters. (photo by John Anderson)

The political landscape of the past few months has made Austinites very ready to vote, and more than ready for a drink.

Through November 2, early voters can present their “I Voted Early” sticker at Hotel Ella's bar for a free tap beer. And Bird Bird Biscuit is offering one of their hearty biscuits and tasty jam for early voters. Not a bad bonus for participating in the most foundational aspect of our democratic process, huh?

Clean eating mecca Snap Kitchen is making the move toward more clean living with its new compostable packaging.

Starting on Thursday, October 25, Austin hometown on-demand delivery and meal plan service Snap Kitchen will be rolling out a nationwide conversion to plant-based compostable, eco-friendly packaging, launching in 35 locations across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia.

“We believe in clean eating for a cleaner earth and make every meal from scratch daily,” says Dale Easdon, CEO of Snap Kitchen. “Since inception, our commitment to locally-sourced products, responsibly-sourced meats and ingredients containing zero additives or GMOs has been paramount. We’re thrilled to round out our commitment to our customers by offering an eco-friendly container to remain a sustainable and eco-conscious company.”

They’re partnering on this initiative with World Centric, a manufacturer of compostable products that donates 25% of its profits to global grassroots social and environmental programs. The packaging will be microwave- and oven-safe and each dish will be equipped with proper heating instructions on their packaging label. The one-time use containers can be easily discarded in a compost bin or included in a conventional garbage canister as they contribute zero toxicity to the environment.

By making the switch from the current recyclable plastic trays to the new packaging, they will reduce their use of plastic by 500,000 lbs. each year. With the energy that it previously took to create one petroleum plastic tray, five new compostable trays can be produced. Additionally, the change to compostable trays will reduce Snap Kitchen’s carbon emissions from packaging manufacturing by 66%. A perfect example of how one small change can create huge ripples of ecological impact.

On November 16, Contigo’s Andrew Wiseheart, Sawyer Bunyard Lewis of LeRoy and Lewis, and Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards are teaming up to kickoff Pearl Fest with a one night-only welcome party before the annual music-filled weekend created and curated by San Angelo native and Austin musician, Jazz Mills. The lineup includes Greyhounds, Tameca Jones, Night Glitter, Croy and the Boys, Dana Falconberry, and more. A portion of festival ticket sales will also benefit United Way of the Concho Valley.

The casual dinner party event begins at 7pm and offers an opportunity for guests to mingle with the weekend’s featured artists while getting a taste of the San Angelo cuisine that inspired Wisehart, Lewis, and Brundrett's approaches to cuisine. The menu, which is a collaboration between Wiseheart and the LeRoy and Lewis team includes smoked house-made jalapeño cheddar sausage with sauerkraut, mustard and potato bread; smoked chicken with kale caesar slaw; smoked trout dip with horseradish, shallots, chives; garlic Labneh with pickles, red wheat crackers; and slow cooked beef shoulder with butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, and brown butter.

Dessert will feature a house-made pie made in collaboration with San Angelo local, notable pie-maker, and close family friend Trudy Cole. Bundrett will be at dinner pouring a 2017 Pétillant Naturel Rosé, 2017 Mary Ruth, and Skeleton Key. Guests can enjoy live music by Austin band Scrapelli as well as a Silent Auction featuring local restaurants and bars, all to benefit United Way of the Concho Valley. Tickets and more info are available here.

Starting at 10am, Sunday, November 4, Irene’s kicks off two new weekly events. First up is a weekly themed Sunday brunch, each themed to align with a particular artist or era of music. Beginning with, what else, a Beyonce-themed brunch, followed by Wu Tang, Nineties hip-hop, and Eighties music brunches through November. Guests are encouraged to embrace the featured artist or era by dressing to match each brunch theme.

Getting in the spirit of things is rewarded with a monthly raffle, where the announced winner will receive a vinyl covering all four Sunday brunch themes at the end of the month. They’re also launching a weekly movie series starting on Wednesday, November 7, 7:30pm, with free complimentary popcorn for guests. The theme of November is strong female leads (Bridesmaids, Legally Blonde, Kill Bill, and Clueless), before they segue to a holiday theme in December with Nightmare Before Christmas and A Muppet Christmas Carol.*

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